OK, i was thinking about starting a brand new thread on this subject, but since Pusaka has also joined in with the camera talk i guess i'll just post here. Photography has been my profession for more nearly 25 yrs. now, so hopefully i know a fair bit about the subject. I sympathize with all those frustrated with digital technlogy. I was personally brought kicking and screaming into the digital world,but if i hadn't made the switch about 4 yrs. ago i wouldn't be working today, plain and simple. Like any new technology, digital has had it's problems, but i will say that it has come a long way in the past couple of years. One of my major frustrations is just how fast the technology is improving. The camera i bought 4 yrs. ago is obsolete already!
Like Alan i shot for years on the same old Nikons and Leicas. I went through college using two old Leicas that were as old as i am and still work to this day. I love old manual cameras and the days when i would just LOOK at the light through a meterless camera and say,"Oh, that's f8 @ 1/60 ".
Ah, but the times they are achangin'. Like any new technology you need to really learn it to make it work for you. I am still learning quite a lot about digi every day. I tend to figure things out on a need to know basis, so i don't know as much as i probably should, but do know enough to get by on a professional level. Part of my job as a staff shooter for a weekly paper is that i am the one who does all the "toning" for the images that go to print. Digital images are not the same as film in that ALL digi images need post shooting work. Well, film does too, but most people don't really take this into account. They drop the film for others to process where a lab tech develops your film and then prints it. These machine prints arec rarely acceptable by pro standards, so prints would then be hand done, with bthe tech adjusting color and contrast levels to produce the correct print for the job. With digi, you are the "processer". To do this well you need to have good programs and you need to learn how to use them. Once you do you can do the job faster and more efficiently than any lab tech could have with film, in the light of day and without dangerous chemicals.
Alan, to address a few of your concerns more directly:
1. Digital is here to stay, and unfortuately it does require some serious expenses. Bottom line to your lens issues is that you need to buy new lenses that will get you off the paint tins when you take your photos. You can only do so much trying to get by with your old lenses.
2. I am not sure what you mean by "indefinite" focus.
3. I work with photoshop everyday and find it fast and efficient. It has some amazing features that allow you to do things you never could do in the darkroom. I would recommend the lastest editions for the best and most complete features. Frankly, i don't even know what half the program will actually do, but if you learn what you need it shouldn't eat up too much of your time in the operation.
4.Dust IS a major factor with digitals. The best thing to do when changing lenes is to not only turn off the camera, but also remove the battery, as even when off there can still be a charge on the CCD that attracts dust. Most of the time though, i just turn the camera off and switch lenses as fast as i can. I probably do this a whole lot more than most of you and only rarely get dust on my CCD. When i do i blow it out.
5. Remember that even though it wasn't cheap, the D70 is NOT a professional camera. The F series Nikons were made for professionals which is why they are so tough. My D2X is similarly built to last, though with all the technology there is certtainly more that can go wrong. Did once drop my D1X two feet onto the concrete with no problem. Your D70 is more akin to something like the old Nikon FM. Those cameras didn't hold up anywhere near as well as the Fs did. The real problem though is that in 5 yrs. your D70 may well be working, but it will be far outdone by the newest and cheaper cameras.
Pusaka, even with film cameras it would be a good idea to put the camera on a tripod. Close-up work limits you depth of field (DOF is the zone of sharp focus in any given image). You would therefore want to use the smallest lens opening (which is the largest number) as that increases DOF. But that also means slower shutter speeds so you would want to steady the camera with a tripod. Yes, "older" digitals do tend to eat battery power, but this has been GREATLY improved in later models. As for going back to "primitive" optics, the optics haven't changed all that much, it's the rest of the camera. The technology isn't "junk", it just needs to be used properly. Never use a digital zoom BTW, unless you want crappy images. A DIGITAL zoom merely crops the image to make it larger. That means that it is just an enlargement and a great deal of quality is lost. 4 MP should indeed be enough to make quality images, especial for the internet, but if you then crop those images with digital zoom it is no longer a 4MP image. The more you zoom, the worse it gets. When buying point-and-shoot digicams, always look for the ones that offer an OPTICAL zoom.
As for sharpness issues, i have found my photos to be incredibly sharp, but NO IMAGE COMES DIRECTLY OUT OF A DIGITAL CAMERA SHARP. ALL digital images need to be sharpened ( and probably have their levels tweaked and color slightly adjusted) through a program similar to Photo Shop's Unsharp Mask. This is a program which also must me applied properly for optimum effect. Many people tend to vastly over-sharpen their images and the effect looks very unnatural. Experiment with your programs and you will find what looks best for you camera and different shooting situations.
Lastly Rick, i highly doubt they will be coming anytime soon to take your film away.
Video did not eliminate motion picture film. Film itself did not eliminate oil paints and pastels. Films, as a medium for artistic expression is here to stay. Unfortunately, with less use of film we will see some of our favorite types fade away and i am afraid that the cost of them will probably rise. But for those who wish to keep shooting the stuff, i think it will be around.